Starter for internal-combustion engines



J. R. NHLLWARD.

STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-19,1913- 1,341,658. nte June 1, 1920.

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' I Z0 76 55 W00; nboz J. R. MILLWARD.

STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

' APPLICATION FILED NQV- l9, I9I3. 1,341,658. P nte June 1, 1920.

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J. R. MILLWARB STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Patented June 1, 1920.-

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APPLICAHON FILED NOV-19 119131 W n/um: avwentoz UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ROS OOE MILLWARD, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE DAYTON ENGINEERING LABORATORIES COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF Application filed November -19, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN Roscoe MILL- WARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Starters for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the fol-- lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to electrical starting devices for internal combustion engines and controlling means therefor and has particular reference to the coupling means whereby the motor employed is thrown automatically into and out of engagement with the engine to be started.

My improved device is especially adapted for starting automobile engines and an important feature thereof consists in an arrangement whereby the aforesaid means for engaging the motor with the engine controls 1 the current passing through the motor whereby the full working current and the engagement of the connector is made dependent on the proper engagement of the connector and the driving of the engine by the motor. The operation is such that the full working current will not pass through the motor until the gears are in proper mesh and upon the starting of the engine the motor circuit .will be opened and the connector disengaged. The latter function is arranged to be effected instantly on the acceleration of the engine by its own power thus to effect the disengagement of the motor before the engine can exert a driving force thereon. My improved arrangement is thus positive in its operation to engage and disengage the motor and, moreover when. disengaged is entirely free of any connection with moving parts.

The foregoing and other features of my features arranged to obtain the character-.

istic results of my invention. Figure 1 shows a desirable form of my invention wherein the shifting of the connector is effected by a spiral spline or key, the connector being shown in section and'in disengaged position. Fig. 2 is a view showing Specification of letters Patent.

STARTER FOR IN TERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Patented June 1, 1920.

Serial No. 801,850.

the same with the connector and switch in position when turning the engine; the connector being here shown in elevation; Fig. 3 1s a modified arrangement employing a spiral spline and a shifting armature to effect the initial engagement of the connector. Fig. 41- is an embodiment wherein the complete shifting movement of the connector is effected by the displacement of the armature, the parts being shown in section and in disconnected position. Fig. 5 is a View of the same arrangement when the connector is in engaged position and the current on full. Figs. 6 and 7 are cross-sectional views on line m-m of Fig. 5 illustrating the positions of the contacts when the motor drives the engine and when the engine drives the motor, respectively.

In the figures M indicates the starting motor consisting of an armature 1 carried on a shaft 2 and having the field poles 1- 1, commutator 6 and the commutator brushes 77. A. suitable frame f is indicated for the purpose of supporting the pole-pieces 4-4 and to provide suitable bearings 6-6 for the armature shaft 2. The armature shaft is shown elongated at one end to have rotatively secured thereon a shiftable connector element to effect its engagement with the engine to be started, here shown as a driving pinion 8 adapted to engage the gear teeth 10 of the engine fly wheel 12.

The engine is indicated at E and may be the usual internal combustion motor of the automobile type.

In the arrangement of Fig. 1 the pinion 8 is rotatively secured to the armature shaft 2 and laterally shifted thereon by a spiral spline or key-thread 16 formed on an operating collar 18 secured on the shaft end and threaded to the interior of the hub 19 of the connector pinion 8. The motor shown is series wound and the operating circuit is closed therethrough from a stora e battery B by a suitable switch arm S. he switch arm, as shown in Fig. 1, is moved to bridge the contacts 21 and 22 initially to close the circuit through the connection 25 having therein a resistance r. The efi'ect thereof will be to energize the motor sufficiently to "effect the shifting of the pinion into enin full engagement with the gear 12. When so fully engaged, as indicated in Fig. 2, the hub 19 will engage a stop shoulder=26 on the collar 18 whereby further effort of the motor Will rotate the pinion to drive the engine.

.Positively to insure shifting of the pinion a retarding spring 28 desirably is arranged to engage the hub 19 of the pinion when current is passed through the connection 25. A magnet 29 wound in series with the connection 25 is then operative to attract its armature 30 carried on the spring 28. The spring is thus drawn downwardly from its normal disengaged position into retarding engagement with the pinion hub thereby insuring the required turning of the operating collar 18 with reference to the pinion to eifect the shifting thereof.

Upon the inner end of the pinion hub 19 and suitably insulated therefrom is an an nular switch member in the form of a copper ring 32 adapted, when the pinion is in full engagement with the gear 12, to engage the brushes 33-34 and close the circuit therethrough to receive the full working fect the engagement of the retarding spring 28 and start the motor. The pinion is thereby shifted from the disengaged position of Fig. 1 into the full engagement shown in Fig. 2, closing the work circuit through. the ring and the brushes 33-34 whereby the motor is fully energized. Thereafter the motor will operate to turn the engine until the occurrence of the first explosion therein when the engine will immediately increase its speed underits own power. Owing to the lag of the motor the gear 12 will then exert a force on the pinion rotating it at an accelerated speed and with relation to the operating spline whereby it is instantly shifted out of engagement. At the same time it will break the motor circuit through the brushes 3334 by shifting the ring 32. As the switch S will by that time have been advanced to the position of Fig. 2 the circuit will then be completely broken and the motor brought to a stop. When again necessary to start the engine the switch arm is further rotated again to bring it into the position of Fig. 1 when the operation will be repeated. 35 indicates a retaining nut threaded to the end of the shaft 2 to limit the movement of the pinion.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a simple modification of the previous arrangement wherein the initial effect of retarding the pinion 8 to secure the movement of the operating I gaging circuit through the resistance r the armature will be shifted into its field against the pressure of the spring 40, thereby carrying with it the operating collar 18 and the pinion 8, the latter being brought into partial or retarding engagement with the flywheel gear 12. Thereafter on the rotation of the armature the pinion positively will be shifted into full engagement with the gear 12. Upon the kicking out of the pinion by starting of the engine, as described, the circuit will be completely broken owing to the shifting of the ring 32 and the retractile spring 40 will then displace the armature to complete the disengaging of the pinion.

in Figs. 4 to 7 I have illustrated a further modified embodiment of my invention adapted to a motor wherein the armature is shifted to provide the complete movement for engaging the pinion and gear. As there shown, the armature is arranged to be displaced under the action of a retractile spring 40 confined between a collar 42, held against the frame f thereby, and a collar 43 on the armature shaft 2. The collar 42 is rotatively connected to the armature shaft by a key fitted to a suitably elongated key-slot 44 in the shaft. Upon the collar, insulated therefrom, is supported a copper contact ring 46 having a laterally extended contact projection or lip 48. Said ring 46 is arranged constantly to be engaged by the brush 33. On the hub 19 of the pinion 8, keyed on the end of the shaft, is a similar copper contact ring 50 having a contact lip 51 projecting in a plane and toward the lip 48 to be in overlyis in driving engagement as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

As shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the pinion 8 is keyed on the armature shaft 2 by a key 54 on the shaft fitted to an enlarged key slot in the pinion hub 19. By this arrangement it will be seen that a partial rotative movement of the pinion with reference to the shaft 2 is permitted. lVhile the armature shaft is exerting a driving pressure on the gear 12, through the pinion, the key 54 will assume a position engaging at the forward end of the key slot 55, as shown in Fig. 6, and the contact lips 48 and 51 are arranged then to be in radial alinement to complete the work circuit through their respective rings 46 and 50' and brushes. qHowever, on

the acceleration of the gear 12, by starting of the engine, it will turn the pinion 8 with. relation tothe shaft 2 to the position shown lng engagement therewith when the pinion in Fig. 7 moving the contact 5.1 circumferentially with relation to contact 48 whereby they are separated to break the circuit. The engagement ofthe key will then be at the rear of the slot 55.

Upon the motor circuit being so broken the spring 40 will force the pinion 8 out of engagement, likewise moving the motor the magnet initially will receive the full current to exert its maximum energy in shifting the pinion while less than the maximum current is passed through the motor armature to reduce the rotative effort. This consists in a connection 60-60 from the battery connected tothe field coils as shown to short circuit the armature. The connection 60-60 is arranged to be broken at contacts 61-62 and the switch arm S carries an auxiliary arm 64:to close the circuit through the connection 60-60 in the first position of arm S. The magnetic pull is thus strengthened to insure of shifting the pinion in the first position of the switch arm while the armature receives a reduced energizing current to reduce the rotative effort. on advancing the switch to the second position indicated in Fig. 5, the circuits through connections 25 and' 60-60 are broken and with the pinion in proper engagement the armature will receive the full working current from the battery.

It will be understood that in some of the claims which follow, I use the expressions initial driving circuit connections and full driving circuit connections, and by these expressions I mean respectively the circuit connections which cause the motor to operate initially prior to enmeshment and the circuit connections which cause the motor to operate with full power to perform the actual cranking operation.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1.- An electrical starting device for internal combustion engines, comprising in com bination with a motor, a connector element shiftable by the motor to couple the motor and the engine for starting of the latter, and means actuated by the motor and carried by the connector element to close the driving circuit only when the connector element is in proper engagement with the engine and to maintain said circuit closed during the starting operation.

2. A starter for engines comprising in combination with a rotatable shaft supported at its inner end and a driving mem her which is mounted on the shaft to have longitudinal movement thereof and a rotary movement therewith, said member being normally adjacent the outer end of the shaft but movable inwardly when the shaft is rotated, a battery, circuit connections including an initial driving circuit and a full driving circuit for connecting said battery with-said starter, a switch for controlling the initial circuit connections, and contact members having sliding connection with one another and controlled by said starter for closing the full driving circuit connections to cause the torque operation of the starter.

3'. All electrical starting device for internal combustion engines comprising in combination with a motor; a connecting gearing adapted to couple the motor and engine toadapted to be engaged by said pinion; andcircuit-controlling means for delaying the full application of power to said pinion, until said pinion is fully connected with the engine, said means controlled by the position of said pinion.

5. In combination with an engine, a starting motor therefor; a helix connected with said motor; a pinion movable on said helix; a toothed member connected with the engine for engagement by said pinion; a battery; circuit connections between said battery and motor including a resistance element; means for closing a circuit connec- 'tion through said resistance element to initiate the starting operation; and automatic means actuated by the movement of the pinion for closing another circuit connection which connects the motor directly with the battery to apply the' full power of the motor to start the engine.

6. In combination with an engine; astarting motor therefor; a toothed member connected with the engine; a pinion connected with the motor and shiftable by said motor into engagement with said toothed member; a battery; circuit connections between said battery and motor including a resistance element; means for closing the circuit connectioif through said resistance element to initiate the starting operation; and automatic means including contact members having sliding engagement one of which is carried by the pinion for closing another circuit connection which connects the motor directly with the battery to apply the full power of the motor to start the engine.

7. An electrical starting device for internal combustion engines comprising in 00111- bination with a motor, a connector element adapted to couple the motor and the engine for starting of the latter, a battery, on initial driving circuit connection and a foil driving circuit connection between said battery and said starting device; and automatically operative means including cooperat- 111g annular contact and brush contact members for closing me full driving circult connectlon when the gears are in proper engageinent.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. in the presence of 20 two subscribing Witnesses.

J. ROSCOE MILLWARD. 

